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Thursday, June 30, 2011

UPDATE: Someone at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment caved. Planned Parenthood remains open for abortion business.

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I can't tell you how many times I've heard an argument along these lines:

"Pro-life" politicians don't really want to end abortion. Because if you get rid of abortion, you get rid of the reason they're being elected! Anti-choicers are being played for fools.

Now, I generally distrust politicians, and I'm sure there are some who profess a pro-life stance solely for the sake of convenience. But I'm happy to report that this is not the situation in Kansas. Beginning tomorrow, it may be the first abortion-free state since Roe v. Wade!

After days of rumors, LifeSiteNews confirms that none of Kansas' three abortion businesses have passed health and safety regulations. The icing on the case is that they were defeated by their own hollow "feminist" rhetoric:

“For many years, abortion businesses in Kansas have claimed to legislative committees that they do not need state oversight and that they already adhere to high industry standards,” [Kathy Ostrowski of Kansans for Life] explained. “Ironically, most provisions in the new Kansas law were taken from the published standards of the National Abortion Federation. To that was added requirements that any abortion must be done by a Kansas-licensed physician with local hospital privileges, and that chemical abortion pills must not be provided via computer.”

Pro-lifers should celebrate, but we should also realize that this is not the end of the story. History teaches us that sweeping changes to the status quo always takes time, no matter how just the cause. This is just the beginning of a long fight.

Fortunately, Kansas won't be bloody this time around: instead, the battle is going to play out in court. Two of the abortion businesses have already sued to enjoin the law. Similar health and safety regulations survived a legal challenge in South Carolina, but that decision is not binding on Kansas courts. We'll keep you apprised.

In states that are not abortion-free, and where abortion providers remain unregulated, we can at least put a dent in the lethal business by informing potential customers of the danger. Check out our pro-woman, life-saving project at AbortionSafety.com!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

[Editor's note: This is the first post by our newest contributor, Timmerie!]

Do the people need Planned Parenthood?

Are the Medicaid funded services that were provided at Planned Parenthood unavailable at other medical care providers in Indiana?

I encourage you to ask yourself these questions while watching the latest undercover video released by Live Action:

Does the de-funding of Planed Parenthood in Indiana hurt the people of Indiana or are they still able to receive the care they need?

In May of this year the House, Senate, and governor of Indiana passed a bill de-funding Planned Parenthood in their state. Why? Planned Parenthood has been exposed numerous times over the years, and just this year Live Action has released over 8 undercover investigations exposing the lies and illegal activities of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood was not de-funded because of moral religious or beliefs, or because they perform abortions; but because of their lies, involvement it human trafficking, covering up of sexual offenders, lack of reporting sexual abuse of minors as young at 13, and much more. (Learn more at the links below)

“The Obama administration is holding patients’ health hostage in return for funding the largest abortion provider in the country,” said Lila Rose 0f Live Action. “This abuse of power is a threat to every other state – that no matter the cost or consequences, this Administration will sacrifice healthcare for the needy to continue pouring tax dollars into Planned Parenthood.”

The above video was made to help society understand the people will not be hurt by the de-funding of Planned Parenthood these services can be received at 800 other locations.

Do you think Planned Parenthood was justifiably de-funded? Should president Obama and his staff be intervening, or is he once again protecting Planned Parenthood?

Sign the petition now to stand with Indiana in de-funding Planned Parenthood.

Be sure to share this video with you colleagues to help them understand why Planned Parenthood should be de-funded.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Back in February, Live Action released footage of Planned Parenthood's Roanoke office. In the video, an undercover "patient" shares that he suspects he has an STD. The PP employee's response?

I tell a lot of people, I say if you know, you're not quite sure, you're not having any symptoms, but for peace of mind, go donate blood-- 'cause if you go donate blood, they have to test for everything anyway.

Donating blood is not an appropriate mechanism to obtain screening for sexually transmitted diseases or any other test result. Though donated blood is screened, and is safer than it has ever been, the hallmark of the system is the honesty of the donor in completing the donor history questionnaire.

Moreover, if your blood is rejected, they may not tell you why, in order to discourage people from abusing the blood donation system.

Why do I bring this up now?

Today is National HIV Testing Day. The Centers for Disease Control has a website, HIVTest.org, which lists testing locations throughout the country. I commend them for their efforts to eliminate this life-threatening illness. There's just one small problem [click to enlarge]:Yes, the CDC site is referring possible HIV-positive individuals to that same Planned Parenthood in Roanoke. I sincerely hope that the Planned Parenthood will not refer these individuals to the local blood bank!

Fortunately, people in need of HIV testing do have other, healthy options available. Planned Parenthood is not the only provider of legitimate reproductive healthcare! In fact, HIVTest.org shows that there are at least eight other HIV testing locations within a 30-mile radius of Roanoke.

If you are sexually active, I encourage you to get tested today. Avoid the blood centers and Planned Parenthoods; carefully choose a clinic where you feel comfortable. Although AIDS remains a serious disease, medical advances have brought us to a point where being HIV-positive doesn't have to be a death sentence. Early detection is key!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

When the FDA announced that it would require graphic images on tobacco products, I was not the only pro-lifer to notice the striking parallels between smoking and abortion. Far from it!

An alliance of pro-life organizations, led by AbolishAbortion.com (a Students for Life of America project), has put together a petition to the FDA. The petition demands that "all abortion facilities and abortion-causing drugs should come with graphic warning labels-- showing women what an abortion really does."

The petition already has more than a hundred signatures. You can add your name here.

Friday, June 24, 2011

I am copying this entire post from the Americans United for Life blog. I don't normally do that, but this is just so outrageous, you have to read the whole thing.

Just when you think that the abortion industry could not possibly get any slimier, you find something like this, from the Bronx Planned Parenthood web page…

Here’s what you need to know about abortion services at this health center:

Abortion Pill (Medication Abortion)Abortion pill (medication abortion) is offered up to 9 weeks after the start of your last menstrual period. If your last menstrual period was more than 9 weeks ago, read about our in-clinic abortion services below.

Abortion pill (medication abortion) services are available by appointment only.

Plan to be at the health center for 2-3 hour(s) for your entire abortion pill visit (medication abortion).

During the abortion pill (medication abortion) visit, you must agree—before you start—that you will have an in-clinic abortion if the abortion pill does not work.

After your abortion visit, you will need access to a telephone, transportation, and backup medical care available to you once you are home.

Let’s break this down.

The abortion pill (RU-496) is “offered up to 9 weeks after the start of your last menstrual period.” That’s 63 days. As AUL has reported many times before, the FDA only approved RU-486 up to 49 days after a woman’s last menstrual period. At 63 days, the RU-486 regimen is 23 percent ineffective; women must then go in for a second surgical abortion. So Planned Parenthood is offering RU-486 in a way that is ineffective 23 percent of the time—- and when it fails, Planned Parenthood gets paid for two abortions on the same woman.

“Plan to be at the health center for 2-3 hour(s) for your entire abortion pill visit.” The FDA approved RU-486—- which requires doses three days apart—- for administration by and under the supervision of a physician. Then the woman is to come back approximately 14 days later for a follow-up appointment. If a woman is only in the clinic for 2-3 hours on the first day of administration, then clearly Planned Parenthood is not following the safety protocol approved by the FDA.

“After your abortion pill visit, you will need access to … backup medical care available to you once you are home.” In other words, Planned Parenthood will do her abortion, but don’t expect its staff to help with any complications.

Now here is the real kicker: “you must agree—- before you start—- that you will have an in-clinic abortion if the abortion pill does not work.” A woman must agree—- before her procedure starts—- that if it fails, she will let Planned Parenthood do a second abortion.

What if, in the interim, a woman decides she doesn’t want to abort after all? Or, what if the woman decides she would rather be seen and treated by her own primary care physician or OB/GYN? What about “choice”?

From a legal perspective, the required agreement is totally bogus. A woman cannot contract away her emergency health care or her right to carry a pregnancy to term. But would the average woman know this? In the midst of an emotional and confusing time, a woman may want to keep her baby, or may not trust the clinic that botched her first abortion—but may think she is contractually bound to go back.

It’s just another example of the abortion industry placing profit above safety and bullying women into aborting their own children.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Domestic News: In New Hampshire, legislators overrode the Governors veto to implement a law requiring parental notification or notification of a Judge prior to an abortion being performed on a minor. The votes in the NH House was 266-102 to override the veto of Governor John Lynch (D). The Senate already voted to override it in a 17-7 vote. In North Carolina, legislation has made it to the desk of Governor Bev Perdue (D) which would require counseling before an abortion, a 24-hr waiting period, and an ultrasound performed ahead of time. It's unclear whether Perdue will sign or veto the legislation, and has until Monday to decide. Planned Parenthood in Indiana is already feeling the pinch of the State's cutting of all funding to the organization. LifeNews is reporting that Planned Parenthood is looking to cut jobs from their organization in Indiana. In California, pro-life groups have been putting up thought provoking billboards about minority abortion rates. For example, in Los Angeles a group put up billboards stating in both Spanish and English, read: "The Most Dangerous Place for a Latino Baby is in the Mother's Womb." Some residents are offended by the billboards, while others are intrigued by their messages.

Australian News: As I have two items of note from Australia this week, they have been given their own section. An abortionist in Australia has been charged with endangering the lives of 54 patients whom he infected with Hepatitis C. He is infected with the disease. The procedures listed at his clinic are fine according to local law, so it is unclear how he infected these women with Hepatitis C. In Western Australia, 22% of pregnancies end in abortion. That's the second highest rate in the country, according to the Western Australian. The highest rate is 24% in the state of New South Wales.

Personal News: This will be my last post for the next few weeks here at Secular ProLife. Why? Next week, our second child, a little girl, will be born. As such, my blogging both here and at my primary site will be severely diminished.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Students for Life of America shares this amazing story of a child's life saved from abortion. [Note: "Missionary" is the title given to SFLA's summer interns. While they aren't employed as missionaries in the religious sense, they are certainly people on a mission!]

One of the benefits of using online resources like social media sites is that they allow small organizations with little to no full-time staff to make a difference simply by having an effective message to post and making a few smart decisions. Efforts like these have led to women changing their minds and deciding to carry their children full-term. Take, for instance, a story one of our 2011 Missionaries recently told us. After posting a string of pro-life Facebook statuses, she received a call from someone who had a friend contemplating abortion. Amazingly enough, our Missionary had never met the young man who decided to call her for help that night, but he was moved by the strength in her posts and was confident that she would be able to suggest how to approach his friend and refer her to local resources. Ultimately, the young woman felt supported and confident enough to carry to term and is now excitedly awaiting the arrival of her child!

Stories like this are so encouraging. We usually don't learn about the lives we save, and that can lead us to feel discouraged: "I'm not really helping any children or mothers, so why bother?" The truth is that seemingly inconsequential actions-- something as simple as posting a facebook status-- can make a world of difference. The slightest thing we do can change one person's opinion, give one person hope, and ripple through the rescued generations.

Monday, June 20, 2011

A pro-life advocate in Delaware is fighting charges and false arrest after he reported to police a suspicious package at a Planned Parenthood abortion business that he worried could be a potential bomb or explosive.

. . .

Knowing that abortion centers and pro-life advocates outsdie them have both been targeted with violence, [Kurt] Linnemann told LifeNews, “I thought it best to call 911 to report the suspicious package. I did not want any of us to get injured or killed nor did I want any of the Planned Parenthood employees or clients to be injured or killed."

Thankfully, the package turned out to be harmless. Linnemann was "rewarded" for his vigilance with a charge of disorderly conduct.

Now, I'm as opposed to false bomb reports as the next person. But by "false report," we ought to mean a report that the person knows to be false. Recall, for example, the case of abortion business owner Linda Meek, who admitted to creating a fake bomb out of an egg timer, placing it at her abortion mill, and calling the police. That was a complete waste of valuable law enforcement time.

By contrast, there is absolutely no indication that Kurt Linnemann knew anything about the contents of the suspicious package. He did exactly what most police departments would want citizens to do. His arrest sends a terrible message; as one facebook commenter sarcastically put it, "I guess the lesson for pro-lifers is, if you don't want to get arrested, don't report suspicious packages. Just let people get blown up."

Understandably, the incident has seriously hurt relations between law enforcement and the pro-life community. Pro-life advocates in Delaware are protesting the arrest and calling on the Wilmington Police Department to drop the charges. Wilmington PD has refused comment. Linnemann has a court date on Thursday.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Susan B. Anthony List has announced that five presidential candidates-- Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, and Rick Santorum-- have signed on to its Pro-Life Presidential Leadership Pledge. The Pledge lists four priorities:

FIRST, to nominate to the U.S. federal bench judges who are committed to restraint and applying the original meaning of the Constitution, not legislating from the bench;

SECOND, to select only pro-life appointees for relevant Cabinet and Executive Branch positions, in particular the head of National Institutes of Health, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health & Human Services;

THIRD, to advance pro-life legislation to permanently end all taxpayer funding of abortion in all domestic and international spending programs, and defund Planned Parenthood and all other contractors and recipients of federal funds with affiliates that perform or fund abortions;

FOURTH, advance and sign into law a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion

Three candidates have refused to sign: Gary Johnson (who is campaigning on a pro-choice platform), Mitt Romney (whose refusal caught the notice of Politico), and Herman Cain. Cain is surprising, since he's been vocally pro-life from the beginning of his campaign. Perhaps he feels that the pro-life movement would be better served with different priorities.

The first and second promises strike me as pretty standard fare for a pro-life president. The promise to defund Planned Parenthood is interesting, but we already know from experience that no president will be able to deliver on it without major changes to the Senate. As to the fourth promise, this is the first indication I've seen that the pro-life movement wants to pass a federal Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Quite a few have passed on the state level, and pro-abortion groups have decided not to challenge them in court; passing one on the federal level could force their hand.

I can also think of plenty of things that can be done on the federal level but are not listed in the Pledge.

Do you share the SBA List's priorities? If not, what would you strike or add?

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Jill Stanek directs a disturbing Chicago Tribune article to our attention. It documents an extraordinary number of abortion complications in the state of Illinois, many of which go unreported. Abortion centers are supposed to report complications to the Department of Public Health, but of course, we really can't trust them to report on their own wrongdoing:

This reporting is the only tool Illinois authorities have to monitor some abortion providers, yet regulators may be allowing doctors and clinics to operate off the books. Regulators collect reports from 26 providers, but the abortion rights research group has identified 37 providers doing business in the state. Also unknown to officials are the types of abortion-related problems experienced by women. Nearly 4,000 reports of abortion complications involving Illinois residents in 2009 were missing the required description.

Let me emphasize that last sentence. Only a fraction of abortion complications are reported. Only a fraction of those don't have a description. And you still get FOUR THOUSAND abortion complications in just one year! Bear in mind that there are only 37 abortion businesses in the state, so I'm willing to bet that every single one has injured or killed at least one woman. How can the Tribune justify saying that "abortion has proven to be a very safe procedure" in the face of these numbers? My guess: that line was thrown in by a pro-abortion editor after the story was written. I cannot imagine any journalist who supports abortion writing this piece.

Moving on...

Health care providers who intentionally fail to submit accurate and complete reports are committing a criminal act, and a failure to report abortion complications is grounds for revoking their licenses, but the Department of Public Health has never sought disciplinary action against a provider.

If that's true, the Illinois Department of Public Health is complicit in the phyical injuries and deaths of who knows how many women.

The Tribune discovered these deficiencies by doing what our AbortionSafety.com researchers are doing-- looking to medical malpractice records:

In certain medical malpractice cases reviewed by the Tribune, women said they were never informed by their provider that the abortion was unsuccessful and later underwent challenging pregnancies, painful deliveries and other complications.

Others suffered anesthesia-related problems, hemorrhaging and infections, according to the suits.

...

Some providers identified by the Tribune refused to discuss reporting.

Others, such as Planned Parenthood and Family Planning Associates, said they were diligent about complying and concerned if others were not.

"It is useful public health information. … We'd hope all providers would comply," said Carole Brite, president of Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

At the same time, Planned Parenthood could not confirm for the Tribune whether it had reported the 2002 death of Stevenson's wife, only that it had reported the 2008 death of another patient. The organization said it had no reason to believe the 2002 death was not reported but that the records were in storage.

And Family Planning Associates said it could not confirm whether it had reported three deaths, in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

A woman who identified herself as a manager of the Women's Aid Clinic of Lincolnwood would not comment on a 2009 death.

The Tribune identified these deaths as part of its review of malpractice suits.

Translation: "I care a lot about abortion complications. I just don't want women to know that they're happening at my clinic." I wouldn't expect anything less.

Bottom line?

"It's outrageous," declared Maurice Stevenson, whose wife died in 2002 from infection following an abortion at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago. "These procedures, complications and deaths should be public record."

If you want women to be informed about shoddy abortionists-- not only in Illinois, but across the country-- please consider making a donation to AbortionSafety.com. Mrs. Stevenson deserved to know. ALL women deserve to know! AbortionSafety.com will make lifesaving information freely available to women who are facing crisis pregnancies.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Domestic News: In Pennsylvania, their State Senate just passed a bill by an overwhelming margin (38 to 12) to establish new, safety regulations for abortion clinics. In addition to inspection requirements, any clinic which offers abortions after the 9th week of pregnancy would be required to register as an "ambulatory" surgical facility much like an outpatient clinic which would perform other surgeries. An interesting part of the new District of Columbia spending bill in the House included a prohibition on DC spending their money on abortions. The bill will be up for debate on Thursday. On Monday a New York based group is suing Texas over their recent pro-life legislation. The bill, signed by Governor Rick Perry (R) would require an ultrasound to be performed before an abortion with the images of the ultrasound shown / described to the woman.

Opinion: So, the 2012 GOP Presidential debate was held on Monday evening. Those who watched it got to see a variety of men and one woman explain their views on the issues. Here is a transcript of the debate. On life issues? Each of them came across well, particularly Representative Bachmann. Here's the quote that really got to me during the debate:

I am 100 percent pro-life. I've given birth to five babies, and I've taken 23 foster children into my home. I believe in the dignity of life from conception until natural death. I believe in the sanctity of human life.

And I think the most eloquent words ever written were those in our Declaration of Independence that said it's a creator who endowed us with inalienable rights given to us from God, not from government. And the beauty of that is that government cannot take those rights away. Only God can give, and only God can take.

And the first of those rights is life. And I stand for that right. I stand for the right to life. The very few cases that deal with those exceptions are the very tiniest of fraction of cases, and yet they get all the attention. Where all of the firepower is and where the real battle is, is on the general -- genuine issue of taking an innocent human life. I stand for life from conception until natural death.

And that really sums up things quite well. In my opinion, any of these candidates will do a good job at articulating pro-life values, and a far better job than our incumbent. It will be interesting to see what they each have to say as the primary progresses.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Seven GOP hopefuls will participate in a televised debate in New Hampshire at 8pm. CNN has the broadcast.

Secular Pro-Life is a non-partisan organization. But since the Obama administration has embraced pro-abortion policies, and Obama is very unlikely to face a challenge from his own party, we can't deny that there is a lot at stake. Without endorsing any particular candidate, I encourage you to look for someone who is a) truly pro-life, and b) capable of winning the 2012 election.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Leadership board member Michelle Z. shared this image, noting that it's been circulating on Tumblr.These analogies only work if you avoid those pesky "difficult concepts" from science: concepts like fertilization, species classification, and biological development.

Let's start with the egg. They're right: it isn't a chicken, because it hasn't been fertilized. Hens lay eggs whether or not they've conceived; this means that farmers can avoid chicken reproduction by simply keeping the roosters separate from the hens, without hurting egg production. The eggs sold in supermarkets are almost always unfertilized. What you're eating is the stuff that would have nourished the chick before hatching, had a chick been conceived. (As our dear friend Phil puts it, "Eggs are chicken period. Have fun erasing that mental image.")

If you were to break open an egg that was fertilized, you'd reveal something rather unfamiliar to your breakfast table:See the beak and the tiny little bird foot? Chicken. Very young chicken, but still chicken.

Let's move on to the acorn. "An acorn is not a tree" is one of the oldest, easiest-to-refute, unoriginal, nonsense pro-choice statements in the book. It relies on a simple linguistic confusion. The word "tree" can be used in two subtly different ways. One use is to designate species: oak trees, pine trees, etc. Another meaning designates the adult stage of the plant, as in "I planted a sapling last August, and now it's a tree." An acorn is not an adult tree. It IS a member of its species: oak, pine, or whatever the case may be. Likewise, unborn children are human, but they are not adults (and obviously, pro-lifers have never claimed that they are).

The silkworm example is just ridiculous. Of course a part of the raw materials used to make a dress is not a dress. But embryos and fetuses are not "raw materials" for making people. The raw materials are the nutrients that we ingest-- prenatally through the umbilical cord, in infancy through breast milk or formula, and so on. We don't "come from" unborn children; we once were unborn children.

This brings us to the final image. It appears that this image depicts a moment just before fertilization; the sperm hasn't yet gone in to mingle its DNA with the egg's DNA. So, ironically enough, the pro-choicers are actually right about this-- just not for the reasons they think.

But let's pretend that it were really an image of the moment of fertilization. Human fertilization (also known as conception) creates new members of the human species. Newly conceived human beings are of course not adults yet, but neither are they mere raw materials. They are simply young, and look exactly how they are supposed to at this stage of their lives. At conception, they possess all the genetic information that will guide them through the prenatal period, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Every person, including you, can trace back his or her existence as an individual to this event.

Pro-lifers are at a disadvantage here. In general, people tend to prefer simplistic ideas to ones that take more time to explain, even if the latter has science on its side. The abortion movement has made very good use of misleading images and language. It's up to us to improve public understanding, one person at a time. Please share this post with your friends.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

This is another one of those "good news, bad news" posts. I'll start with the bad news: the Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit is in a dire position. CFA is a school for pregnant and parenting students, most of whom are young women of color. Its mission is just amazing. They are educating the students who it seems everyone else has given up on, and getting them to college. But the $750,000 price tag for the local school district has made CFA a target for closure in these tough economic times. If you live in the Detroit area, join CFA supporters for a rally at noon on June 16, at the school. (Get directions here.)

Good news: Feminists for Life is developing a program called "Project Graduate." FFL has not yet released the details, but in a recent email, it says that the program will connect alumni with efforts to provide resources for pregnant and parenting students at their alma maters:

Alumni, especially former student parents and grad parents, and parents of current students have a great deal of knowledge and influence. And it's time to make it count.

Please join Feminists for Life in our new PROJECT GRADUĀTE.

We will provide sample letters and advocacy tools so that you can hasten the day when women don't feel forced to choose between their children and their education.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Domestic News: In Maryland, Americans United for Life are coming to the aide of crisis pregnancy centers. County and City municipalities have been passing recently requiring crisis pregnancy centers from posting explicitly that they do not perform abortions and additional requirements in some areas. On Tuesday, the AUL filed a brief regarding the Fourth Circuit case Greater Baltimore Center for Pregnancy Concerns v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. In North Carolina, choose life license plates will soon be available. The license plates cost $25 extra and $15 of that goes to the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship. Pro-life legislators in Maine were hopeful about some new pro-life legislation being proposed. This week, all three bills were defeated in the House. The legislation would have established a 24 hour waiting period and beefed up parental consent laws.

The Alliance Defense Fund submitted a legal opinion last month to the Czech Republic Ministry of Health, dispelling misconceptions that European law requires the country to offer such abortions.

“No government must offer abortions simply because pro-abortion advocates demand they be provided. Neither European nor international law requires the Czech Republic to offer abortions,” said ADF Legal Counsel Roger Kiska, who is based in Europe. “The Czech Parliament made the right decision to derail this bad and unpopular legislation.”

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Operation Rescue has been notified that the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has determined that Whole Women's Health of McAllen has violated Texas laws regarding the disposal of fetal remains from abortions. The TCEQ has now closed their investigation and referred the matter to formal enforcement.

Operation Rescue received a copy of the TCEQ Complaint Report that made the determination that violations have occurred.

The case stemmed from a 3-month undercover investigation conducted by Operation Rescue with the help of the Survivors earlier this year.

Evidence gathered during that investigation was hand-delivered to the TCEQ, which then conducted their own investigation that gathered similar evidence supporting Operation Rescue's claims that Whole Women's Health was in violation of the law.

Operation Rescue's investigators discovered packets containing the refuse from several abortions in an open, public dumpster behind Whole Women's Health in McAllen. The pro-life investigators carefully photographed the aborted baby remains, bloody cannulas, which are disposable surgical instruments used in early-term abortions, and other bloody objects, including syringes and partially used vials of drugs.

The TCEQ investigative report indicated that "recognizable human body parts, tissues, fetuses, organs, and the products of human abortions" were illegally dumped by Whole Women's Health, which constituted a violation of the Texas Administrative Code.

Violations of the strict regulations that govern the disposal of such tissue can create a public health hazard.

Penalties for the violations will now be determined by the enforcement branch of the TCEQ, and could include hefty fines.

"The TCEQ has confirmed that Whole Women's Health has violated the law just as we said. Our investigation has served to protect the public and bring these abortion violators to justice," said Newman. "I am confident that similar investigations could be conducted with equal success at virtually every abortion mill in the country. We have yet to find an abortion clinic that fully complies with the law."

In the meantime, the Texas Medical Board continues to investigate complaints filed by Operation Rescue against over a dozen Texas abortionists. Those investigations are ongoing and could result in disciplinary action.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Secular Pro-Life is youth-led and has a majority youth membership. But we are not, officially, a youth organization. We welcome older adult supporters. I believe that we can learn a lot from more experienced pro-lifers.

Dr. Steven Zielinski-- whom I affectionately call Dr. Z.-- has been involved in the pro-life movement for decades. He is a physician, attorney, and master storyteller. In this audio clip, which is excerpted from a longer talk, he shares some of his experiences from the early 1980s. His stories remind us that in the battle for the right to life, sometimes our greatest weapon is a healthy sense of humor!

(Unfortunately, closed captioning is not available on Vimeo.)

If you're thinking "I don't have time to listen to all 20 minutes of this," here's a take-away quote:

"Philosophers and theologians have not reached any agreement on when human life begins." Of course from the sidelines, I had to pop in, and I say "And by the way, phrenologists and shoe salesmen have not reached any agreement on when human life begins either. But the scientific community is pretty well organized on that..."

Saturday, June 4, 2011

In New Zealand, Right to Life may appeal a recent court decision that held that unborn children have no right to life. The appeal would be to the nation's Supreme Court. As in the United States, most appeals to the Supreme Court are not heard. They do have better odds, though: about 20% of applications are successful, versus less than 5% in the American court.

Abortion supporters are rallying around Jennie L. McCormack, who was charged with "unlawful termination" after she killed her 20-week-old unborn baby with off-label pills. She faces a maximum five year prison sentence and a $5000 fine. The pro-abortion petition on McCormack's behalf shows incredible vitriol toward the pro-life woman who reported the crime, and who dared to suggest that McCormack could have asked for help in dealing with her difficult financial situation. (Sample comment: "Squealer woman is evil and she should be punished! Dress her as pig and parade her on street while others throw poo at her.")Other mothers and fathers have, under extreme stress, justified the killing of their born sons and daughters; we may feel some sympathy for such parents, and encourage them to get psychological help, but we cannot join them in believing that homicide is an appropriate response or that there should be no legal consequences. It's entirely reasonable for pro-lifers (and the law) to treat McCormack similarly.

On Twitter? Whether or not you follow us, it's easy to help us save lives. Just use the #abortionsafety tag whenever come across a story about a botched abortion.

Friday, June 3, 2011

A survey commissioned by the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA, which joined Planned Parenthood in opposition to physicians' right to refuse abortion) asked whether respondents agreed with this statement:

While the current political debate focuses too much on abortion, there is a much broader discussion that needs to happen around reproductive health. We may have different opinions about abortion, so rather than continuing to argue about this one issue, our elected officials should focus on the broader context like providing greater access to birth control, teaching comprehensive sex education and improving maternal health and childbirth outcomes. These are issues that will allow us to come together.

Seventy-nine percent of respondents agreed with the statement. Given the wording, that's no surprise; attention to "maternal health and childbirth outcomes" is something that literally no one opposes. By cleverly presenting it as a zero-sum game, the NFPRHA got Politico to print the headline "Poll: Public Tired of Abortion Debate." The implication is obvious: politicians and public figures should just shut up about the 3500 unborn children being killed every day.

What was the goal of this survey? Are the NFPRHA and its pro-abortion allies planning to stop lobbying for abortion and refocus their efforts on legitimate gynecology, and maternal and prenatal health? Keep dreaming. If they want to discourage debate on abortion, it can only be for one reason-- because they are losing that debate. In fact, a recent NPR poll found that nearly 60% of Americans believe that abortion is wrong, and that percentage is even higher for young people.

I have no doubt that the public does want a conversation about women's health topics other than abortion. That's bad news for the abortion movement, which survives by equating abortion with women's health. They'll never engage in a conversation about women's health that doesn't have abortion front and center. What abortion groups really want is to pursue their agenda with no debate whatsoever. We will never allow that.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

New Zealand's Court of Appeal has declared that unborn children do not have the right to life. This is not the New Zealand version of Roe v. Wade; abortion was already allowed in some circumstances, although not on demand. But the decision is a huge step backward for human rights. If the unborn have no right to life, what's the justification for having any abortion limits? There is no question that pro-abortion groups will latch on to this misguided decision.

Bob McCoskie of Family First NZ commented on the cognitize dissonance created by the decision, which is very similar to what we see in the United States:

It is also concerning that the Court of Appeal believe that the law does not recognize or confer a right to life on the unborn child. This is completely inconsistent with warning messages about prenatal alcohol and drug use, assaults on pregnant women, and even the report released today by Sir Peter Gluckman referring to ‘environmental risks that occur prenatally’. Just when does a child obtain a right to live? 30 weeks? 40 weeks? In the birthing room? Abortion can harm women – yet groups seeking to decriminalise abortion refuse to acknowledge this, seeing the right to abortion more paramount than the long-term health and welfare of the women.

Of course, pro-life advocates in New Zealand are not standing idly by. There, as here, the pro-life movement is working hard to reach people with the truth. I encourage you to check out Pro-Life New Zealand's Just Think campaign, which is starting a conversation about pro-abortion inconsistencies.

This is also as good a time as any to plug Pro-Life Planet, which will help connect pro-life advocates across the globe.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Domestic News:Indiana has been told by the Obama administration that they are not allowed to defund Planned Parenthood locally. Recently, Indiana's legislature approved a measure that allowed the state to defund Planned Parenthood, including through their state Medicaid program. CMS Administrator Don Berwick, “Medicaid programs may not exclude qualified health care providers from providing services that are funded under the program because of a provider's scope of practice.” This includes, Planned Parenthood according to Berwick. Pro-life legislators in Maine have gotten a bill through committee that would give unborn babies the same rights as born babies under the law specifically during the act of murder. If a pregnant woman is murdered, the culprit can, if this law passes, be charged with two counts of murder. A number of pro-life bills are moving forward in Alabama. If passed, these laws will prohibit abortions after 20 weeks, define life as beginning at conception, and opt-out of federal health care reform funding that could be used towards abortions.

International News: For several years, the abortion rate in Scotland was on the rise. 2009 and 2010 saw a reduction in the number of abortions - from 2008 to 2010 it decreased by 1,000. Pro-life legislators in Russia along with Russia's Orthodox Church are pushing for legislation to curb abortions. The bill would require a one week waiting period before an abortion, spousal consent for married women, and would prohibit state run clinics from performing free abortions. In 2009, 1.3 million abortions were performed in Russia.

Editorial: Paul Pauker of Live Action wrote an interesting editorial entitled, "The Case Against Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey." Check the link and the full editorial.